TPi_Magazine__February_2018

LITECOM been good for us

LITECOM been good for us in the long run.” Morten Bremer Sørensen added: “We like growth as much as the next guy but our core values need to be built up again or we will be just like everybody else. We want to be doing things together with the client, on our terms, instead of not having the time and saying, ‘just sign here’, which is rubbish. We want to make people feel safe with us and be assured from the start that they will have their expectations met.” Bremer Sørensen agreed: “This year our Sweden office has gained some of the best productions available and our German operation has doubled their inventory. For the right job we can move anywhere - we have such good supplier relationships the world over - and we will strive to provide that service that gives clients security.” The “right” jobs that Bremer Sørensen alluded to have included some incredibly prestigious and high profile shows over the years, including one of the most widely viewed broadcasts on earth, the Eurovision Song Contest (ESC). “The ESC is a landmark relationship for sure, particularly in terms of spectators and so on,” he said. “They’re certainly the biggest jobs we’ve had in terms of the sheer amount of items we supplied but there other jobs that are smaller in scale but even higher in expectation, such as the Victoria’s Secret show in Shanghai where we supplied our remote followspot, the SpotDrive. To be involved in something like this, where a huge company’s life is essentially on the line for a 40-minute show, is great for us.” One of Europe’s most iconic festivals, Roskilde, is another of Litecom’s regular haunts, and a recent involvement in the world of sport has added yet another string to the company’s bow. “The most complex thing we’ve done is providing full production for the World Boxing Super Series,” enthused Bremer Sørensen. “We had to travel around the globe, coordinating equipment from different suppliers and getting everything into one venue in time for doors each night on a show of this scale - quite an achievement.” WORKING 24/7 The final stop on our tour was in the north of Copenhagen, where Litecom’s full film equipment cache could be found in an unassuming nook of TV studio Twentyfourseven, where shows such as Denmark’s Got Talent and Wonderkids (whose production rehearsals were currently set up in The Cube) were filmed. “We always make sure what they have is state of the art and we regularly come close to maxing out our inventory here,” explained Bremer Sørensen. As well as strategically distributing its considerable stock around Copenhagen in order to maximise its use, Litecom also has its other branches to think about as well. Bremer Sørensen said: “While the Sweden office is more or less equipped to the same level as us, our German operation is mostly concerned with rigging. All of our Cyberhoists are there, as well as a large proportion of our MX1 trusses, which are manufactured in house. “Our Georgian office is more or less servicing the same kind of think as we do in Denmark, but on a smaller scale. This includes their version of The X Factor, Georgia’s Got Talent! and some small festivals. It’s still a limited market because of budgetary constraints, but Litecom Georgia is having its own good life out there.” In addition to its own line of truss, Litecom has pioneered a number of in-house inventions that can be seen on some of its most prestigious shows. For instance, the company’s SpotDrive remote followspot system was used to full effect at the aforementioned Victoria’s Secret and on a number of high-profile tours and other events; often to considerable praise. “It was really fun to develop the SpotDrive as it basically came out of nowhere and was built from standard items,” said Bremer Sørensen. “We never intended to develop a full system; we just wanted to put it together as a remote that could be used by any desk on any fixture. I think we accomplished that really well and we’re already working on a V2 that’s a totally different approach. 60